Electrician freed of ‘ganja’ charge

A 21-YEAR-OLD Point Fortin electrician yesterday left the San Fernando High Court a free man after a jury found him not guilty of the charge of trafficking in marijuana. Junior Ashby, of Cap-de-Ville, was found not guilty by a jury in the Third Criminal Assizes on the charge of possession of 2.7 kilos of marijuana. He was represented by Subhas Panday and Anusha Panday while Narissa Ramsundar represented the State in the case which was heard before Justice Malcolm Holdip. It was alleged that on October 26, 2000, Ashby was seen by PC Brian Daniel at the scene of an accident along Guaracara/Tabaquite Road.

PC Daniel had testified that Ashby was sitting near a white Mazda 323 car which was  overturned in a drain. Ashby had a black plastic bag between his legs and ran into the bushes when the officer approached him to make inquiries. The policeman said he took possession of the bag which was found to contain loose marijuana and which weighed 2.7 kilos. However, Ashby denied the police caught him with marijuana and insisted that on the day in question, he was at home with his family celebrating Divali.  

Ashby said he had spent that day with his relatives having lunch, and then a game of cricket, before going out to see the lights of Divali. The electrician said he had lost his wallet containing his ID card in a white Mazda 323 after travelling in that car on October 25, 2000. Ashby testified that when he went to the Point Fortin Police Station to inquire about his wallet, Gasparillo police held him, and later charged him for marijuana trafficking. In the end the jury believed Ashby’s version of events and returned a not-guilty verdict. Ashby was later invited to leave the court, after being told he was free to go.